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Wolves of the World

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Montana at a glance

Gray wolves once existed throughout Montana; however, persecution and, eventually, poisoning began shortly after European settlement, and by the late-1930s no wolves were left. In the early 1980s, wolves dispersed from Canada, making their way back into northwest Montana. Wolves also began moving north and east into Montana from Wyoming and Idaho after wolf reintroduction in those states in 1995 and 1996. Wolves continue to be a controversial subject, and public attitudes vary. Main prey for wolves there are elk, moose, deer, bighorn sheep, mountain goats and beaver. Wolf range is approximately 20 percent of the map shown, with most wolves occupying the western portion of the state. Range lines are not depicted.

Montana's wolf management plan includes an annual harvest season. Additional information

Species Information

Species
Common Name: gray wolf, northwestern wolf, Rocky Mountain wolf
Latin Name: Canis lupus

Location:

Wolf range in Montana is within the area outlined in blue on the map above. MT Fish, Wildlife & Parks

Current Wolf Population, Trend, Status
Number of wolves: minimum of 653 (2011-12)
Population trend: Increasing
Legal status: State managed as of May 5, 2011

Baker Mountain alpha female (gray) with 10 month old pup. Jon Trapp

Human Relationships

History

Gray Wolf Timeline

Recovery & Management

Wolf Conservation and Management in Montana.

Wolf Harvest Season Information

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's News, Information and Recovery Status Reports for the Northern Rockies
Mech, L. David, Meier, Thomas J., and Burch, John W. 1991. Denali Park Wolf Studies: Implications for Yellowstone. Transcript of the 56th North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference. 1:86-90.

Depredation

Ecology

Gray Wolf Biology

Habitat

Prey & Predation

Barber, S. M., Mech, L. D., and White, P. J. 2005. Yellowstone elk calf mortality following wolf restorations: Bears remain top summer predators. Yellowstone Science 133:37-44.
Cook, R. C., Cook, J. G., & Mech, L. 2004. Nutritional Condition of Northern Yellowstone Elk. Journal of Mammalogy, 85(4), 714-722.

Join the International Wolf Center and world-renowned wolf biologist, Dave Mech for the adventure of a lifetime - tour Yellowstone National Park with the experts! Learn more